Sox secure super sports Sunday for Boston

The Red Sox were locked in an offensive funk on Sunday, trailing the Tigers in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series and staring a 2-0 deficit right in the face. But at least one fan behind the Boston dugout was still feeling some positive vibes.

"This guy kept saying, 'You know what happened with the [New England] Patriots today, you know what happened with the Patriots today?'" said Red Sox backup catcher David Ross. "From like the fourth inning on. I was like, 'Wow, that guy has more hope than I do.'"

Perhaps this fan sensed there was something special going on with Boston sports on Sunday.

After all, it was only a few hours earlier that the Patriots, playing host to the New Orleans Saints in Foxboro, Mass., rose from the ashes themselves. Quarterback Tom Brady, with no timeouts, led a 70-yard drive in the final 1 minute, 13 seconds, throwing a game-winning 17-yard touchdown pass to Kenbrell Thompkins with five seconds remaining for a 30-27 victory.

Although the Red Sox were getting ready for their game at the time, they were aware of the drama that was unfolding about 30 miles away at Gillette Stadium.

"We saw it," outfielder Jonny Gomes said, smiling. "We saw it."

It didn't seem like Boston sports fans' good feelings were going to last very long.

The Tigers, coming off a 1-0 victory in Game 1, scored a run in the second inning, then broke the game open with four in the sixth. The Red Sox came back with a run in the bottom of the frame but trailed 5-1 going into the eighth.

As it turned out, a crazy night in Beantown was only getting started. Boston loaded the bases with two outs for slugger David Ortiz, and Detroit brought in closer Joaquin Benoit for a potential four-out save. On the first pitch, Ortiz walloped a shot toward right field that carried just over a leaping Torii Hunter and into the Red Sox bullpen for only the third game-tying grand slam in postseason history.

When the inning was over, Ross tossed a ball to the fan with the glass-half-full outlook.

But the heroics weren't finished. In the ninth, Jarrod Saltalamacchia's single to left field off Rick Porcello brought home Gomes, and the Red Sox had a 6-5 walk-off win and an even series.

Will Ross now be bringing that fan to Detroit for Game 3 (4 p.m. ET, FOX) on Tuesday?

"If I knew who it was," he said with a laugh. "I didn't know who it was, but he had some good seats, so he could probably afford his own flight."